Torn
by Nynalba
Summary: A girl is torn between two villages, two guys and between mind and heart: which way is she going to take? Read and find out! Chapter 8 up: "I don't like where this is heading, Kakashi thought. It smells like trouble..." First fic: comments welcome!
1. Bloody discovery

**TORN**

_Chapter 1 – Bloody discovery  
_

" Onee chan" she murmured, extending her hand towards her before falling into darkness.

* * *

"You didn't kill the girl. Would you have a soft spot for her?" said the icy voice. "If so, now she's all yours".

The other one didn't move.

"Fine. I'll do it then. It would be such a waste otherwise." Lust was now distorting the cold voice. Its owner came closer to the body and began stroking the white skin with the blade of a sword, from her chin down to her cleavage.

"Don't touch her!" the other one hurriedly said.

"Then, if she's of no use to me, I guess I'll have to kill her."

"No, I'll do it but don't touch her" the other one said reluctantly, trying to stifle all the anger and resentment as best as possible.

* * *

As Kakashi was walking, he could feel the cool wind on his face. He felt a bit tired but mostly disappointed. His mission could not be called a success and Tsunade wasn't going to be happy about it. He could already hear her say something like "Kakashi, you're sure good at reading perverted books but, as for getting information on this bloody Akatsuki, you're useless. Next time, I'll rather send Jiraya. He may have dubious ways of gathering information but, at least, it works." Maybe he should have adopted Jiraya's way of handling this kind of mission after all: at worst, he would have spent a much more pleasant week than the one he just had.

A strong gust of wind took Kakashi out of his thoughts. Well, it was not that much the wind in itself which made him stop musing about Tsunade's wrath but rather the strong smell it carried. Kakashi's nose had always been reliable and this was definitely the smell of blood. It seemed to come from the forest ahead of him. He immediately summoned Pakkun whose greeting to Kakashi consisted in "Gosh! Where are we, Kakashi? It stinks like death over here."

"I know. I'd like you to help me track this scent down. Seems like it comes from this forest but I think we're already too late..."

"Let's go then", the dog agreed.

After a few minutes running, Kakashi proved to be right. Four bodies covered with blood were lying on the ground in the middle of the forest. Two boys and two girls. They all wore the Rain village's headband.

"Rain nins, huh?" Pakkun said in desolation.

"Yep. The two boys are dead. They shouldn't be more than fifteen years old... What a bloody mess!" Kakashi sighed.

"You're getting sentimental, Kakashi. That must be age", Pakkun said in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm not the one with wrinkles all over my face", Kakashi answered right away.

"Well, that's what you say. I can't see most of your face with that mask of yours", the dog retorted with a grin.

"Did you actually grin? Anyway, now is not the right time to be joking around", Kakashi remarked.

"Just tried to lighten up the atmosphere, that's all", Pakkun mumbled.

Oblivious of the vexed dog, Kakashi was now turning to one of the girls. He felt for her pulse... Nothing. Her face was turned the other way so that he had to walk around her body. Her dark green eyes were still open but veiled by death. He gently brushed a lock of light brown hair which hid a part of her face. Now Kakashi was pretty sure he knew that girl, or rather woman, since she was only slightly younger than him.

"Aneko", he said under his breath.

"What?" Pakkun asked.

This time, Kakashi brushed aside the long wavy hair concealing her back and found what he had been looking for: the Usuzumi emblem which consisted in a circle divided in five parts, each one with a different colour – light blue, dark blue, grey, green and brown.

"This is definitely Aneko. She used to be an ANBU before leaving Konoha a few years ago. Seems like she left the Leaf for the Rain."

"Kakashi, stop playing the detective. I think this girl's still alive!" the dog exclaimed.

Kakashi immediately turned his attention to the last nin whose hand was extended towards Aneko as if she had tried to reach for her before losing consciousness. She had long black silky hair and, despite her bangs, Kakashi could see she had a strange blue point, a bit like Tsunade's tattoo, in the middle of her forehead. Last but not least, she had a huge bosom which could seriously compete with the Fifth's... Not the right time to appreciate this kind of things, Kakashi inwardly scolded himself and started to look for her pulse. A throb! And here's another one... But this was really slow. Too slow. No time to waste. Not even a second.

"Pakkun, keep an eye on these bodies until I come back for them. Have to take that girl to Konoha for medical care."

With that said, he gently took the unconscious nin in his arms and started his race against death.


	2. Ready, steady, go!

**Hi everyone! This chapter will be a bit longer than the first one. Feel free to review. As I'm not born with English coming out of my mouth, tell me if there are any mistakes or things that are unclear. Ideas and comments are welcome as well. I'll stop here for now or you're going to think I'm begging you to review (well, maybe I am a little bit ;)). Hope you 'll enjoy!**

_Chapter 2 – Ready, steady, go!_

Kakashi had been running at full speed for some time now. Well, at the speed he could muster given that his energy was slowly but surely declining. Nevertheless, he couldn't take the risk to slow down, even for a few minutes, as the Rain girl's body was getting colder against his. He hoped his own warmth helped her a little bit. For the moment, that was all he could do for her, that and run.

"Hold on", he whispered, as much to her as to himself. "We're almost there."

A few minutes later, minutes that felt much longer to him, he caught sight of Konoha's gates.

* * *

It was another long long day for Izumo, one of the two guards keeping the Leaf village's gates. At least, it wasn't raining like it had been for a couple of days. It was windy though and the wind kept inviting itself in their wooden cabin and would turn the pages of the book he was discretely trying to read. He had to be discrete in case Shizune or Tsunade-sama would show up. That was hardly probable since they spent most of the day in the Hokage tower but, if they suddenly decided to stroll by, he knew he would be done for. The Fifth would certainly burst into a sermon about duty and how they were crucial to Konoha's safety but would probably forget about it all after a bottle of sake and a good night's sleep. No, the worse of the two would definitely be Shizune. Yeah, Shizune never forgot. He knew it too well for having played a trick on her once when they were kids and the truth was he was still paying for it. If she caught him, she would appear as calm as ever but would be inwardly boiling and she would be on his back forever after, making sure he was doing his job properly... He tried to get rid of this mental image of Shizune actually on his back, slapping him each time he was trying to read a line from his book. _Anyway, life would be boring if one didn't take risks from time to time, wouldn't it?_ , he thought to himself.

"Now where was I again?" he asked himself, eyeing his book.

"Talking to yourself again", Kotetsu asked in a sarcastic tone. "You know you can talk to me as well if you want. That's what people usually do: they talk to each other, you know. Of course, I may not be as interesting as your book... But, that way you could concentrate more on the gates instead of having your eyes – well, the one not hidden behind your hair – constantly on your book."

"It's not like there's a lot to concentrate on, anyway. And if ever something came up, you have all my trust", Izumo retorted, a hint of irony in his voice.

"You're just useless," Kotetsu sighed.

"Okay then. Let me just finish that book and I'll promise I'll make an effort", he conceded, his eyes still glued to the book.

"Hey", Kotetsu exclaimed, "wasn't that Kakashi? Seems like he's in a hurry. That's not really like him. Wasn't he holding someone in his arms? I could have sworn I saw long black hair flying by... I thought he was on a solo mission this time." He paused, looking at his fellow guard who was still reading greedily. "Maybe he met some hot girl on the way and he just can't wait to get to his flat. What do you think?"

"Hmpf" was Izumo's answer and the proof to Kotetsu that he really didn't listen to a single word he had just said.

Well, Izumo had actually caught some of his words. _Kakashi, huh?_ he thought. _I should think of borrowing some of his books some day. I've heard he has a quite impressive private library..._

* * *

Kakashi was now running through Konoha's streets and he could feel people's interrogative gaze as he was passing by. He guessed it was not so much directed at him and at the fact that he was running like mad but rather at the pale Rain kunoichi covered in blood he was holding in his arms.

"Here we are", he said as he burst into the hospital. It seemed he was lucky since Sakura was talking to a nurse in the hall. She spotted him right away.

"Kakashi-sensei, what happened?" she asked as she directed her full attention to him and the stranger in his arms.

"Found this Rain nin while coming back from a mission. She's unconscious, her pulse and her breathing are low. She needs your help."

"I need a team in operating room 2 right now" Sakura ordered at the top of her lungs. "Follow me" she directed her sensei.

* * *

"Ayane!" Sakura exclaimed after Kakashi had gently laid the unconscious nin down on the operating table. She could now fully see the girl's face.

"Do you know her?"Kakashi asked as Sakura was already checking on her patient.

"Usuzumi, Ayane. She used to be with us at the academy before suddenly leaving just before we were made genins" Sakura informed him, still shocked.

Kakashi's gaze finally laid on the hem of the nin's dress which had been spared by blood: the Usuzumi's symbol. So she was a relative of Aneko's.

"Kakashi-sensei", Sakura said getting him out of his musing, 'you'd better go report to Tsunade-sama". At the same moment, the medical team entered the room and Sakura began to give orders, her mind fully back on the ex-schoolmate who was now her patient.

* * *

"According to Sakura, the survivor is Usuzumi, Ayane and I recognized one of the dead nins as Usuzumi, Aneko, a former Konoha ANBU" Kakashi informed Tsunade.

At the mention of the first name, Tsunade stared wide-eyed and, when she heard the second one, a decomposed look settled on her face.

"Hell no" Tsunade muttered under her breath before getting up and rushing for the door.

Kakashi had never seen the Godaime letting go of her emotions so easily, well maybe except when she was drunk or angry, which was quite often actually... In fact, he had never seen her look sad.

"Tsunade-sama, are you all right?" he asked with concern.

"Get an ANBU team and bring these bodies back to Konoha, Kakashi." Tsunade was now running and Kakashi obediently disappeared in a puff of smoke.


	3. Memories

**It's been a long time! As I've just finished my exams, I'll be able to update more often... By the way, I made a few changes in the first chapter so read it again to catch up! Hope you'll enjoy this new chapter!**

_Chapter 3 – Memories_

_Tsunade was rummaging through her bedroom's closet. Where the heck did she store that photo album? Well, « store » wasn't the proper word to use since her closet was a real mess. She really had to do something about it... later._

_« Are you done yet? » she heard Aneko ask._

_« I want to see the photos! » little Ayane's voice echoed._

_« Coming! » Tsunade replied._

_When she entered the living room with the awaited album which seemed at that very moment like the Holy Grail, the girls were waiting on the couch. Little Ayane's face beamed even though she had already seen the old photos before. She was just happy to see and be told about her parents whom she had no memories of. Aneko had had the chance to know them better but this would be the occasion for her to get Tsunade to tell anecdotes she didn't know of._

_Tsunade was glad to be able to share her memories with the girls. It was like to pass on a legacy. But it could also prove a painful exercise especially as far as Dan, her brother or the girls' parents were concerned._

_« How old were you on this photo? » Aneko asked._

_« Well, I was 20, your mum was 15 and your grandmother was probably in her late fourties. She actually never told us her real age... » Tsunade mused._

_« Wow! » Ayane exclaimed. « You all had really big boobs! Even Granny! »_

_« I know, it runs in the family » Tsunade sighed._

_« How come I don't have huge breasts as well? I'm already 15! » Aneko asked in an envious tone._

_« And what about me? » Ayane joined in._

_« Okay. First, Ayane, you are only 5: you still have time for that. And Aneko, having a huge bosom isn't always a good thing, believe me... Don't worry, you'll find a boy who will like you just the way you are. Maybe you have already found that boy? » Tsunade asked, faking innocence while winking heavily._

_« No, I haven't yet » Aneko replied, smiling at Tsunade's face._

_« I have a boyfriend! » Ayane cut in. « He kissed me on the cheek once. His name is Kiba and he's beautiful! »_

_« We say handsome for boys, not beautiful » Aneko corrected._

_« Whatever » Ayane went on. « One day, I'll be a great ninja, I'll marry the most beautiful man in Konoha - « handsome » Aneko rectified but Ayane did't notice or maybe didn't care – and I'll have big boobs! »_

_Upon that, Tsunade and Aneko started to laugh and Ayane joined in even though she didn't seem to know what they were laughing about._

Still lost in her daydream, Tsunade heard someone indicate her the operating room and she suddenly realized she was now in front of the door. She stayed there a moment to gain her composure back before opening the door.

* * *

Sakura heard someone enter the room and saw Tsunade putting on a mask before joining the team. She didn't know though that the mask wasn't merely a material one...

« Need some help, Sakura? »

She nodded and directed her attention back to her patient.

* * *

They had all done their best and the Rain girl was now out of danger.

« She'll remain here for the night. I want at least one medic nin staying here just in case » Tsunade said before letting out a sigh of relief.

She was now looking at the girl, stroking her cheek with one finger. Sakura could see that her mentor's eyes were getting watery.

« Is everything okay, shishou? » she asked.

« Just relieved to see that my niece is now allright. »

Sakura's eyes widened against her will. « Ayane's your niece? I didn't know that! »

« Well, Sakura, if you don't mind, I think I'll do with some sake right now. Maybe you could come with me and we'll have a little chat. »

* * *

Sakura was sitting in front of the Hokage's desk with a glass of sake in front of her. As for the Godaime, she was directly taking sips from the bottle between two sentences.

« You see, Sakura, Ayane's father was from the Rain village and my sister convinced him to come and live in Konoha. I guess one can say strong character is a trademark in the family, at least among women. »

Sakura would have rather used the word « authority » or even « bullying »...

« Unluckily, they were both killed by the nine-tailed fox while Ayane was barely one-year old. So I looked after her and her sister until I considered Aneko old enough to take care of Ayane on her own. That's why I really regard them as my daughters. »

Tsunade's eyes were glassy and her voice was getting shaky. Sakura could see she was struggling to contain herself but sake would soon unleash all the repressed emotions within her. The apprentice didn't mind to be the shoulder on which her master could cry. That was the least she could do after all the older woman had done for her. What bothered her was that she had spent nearly three years with that woman and she just realized she actually knew nothing about her.


	4. Reunion

_Chapter 4 - Reunion  
_

" Here's the autopsy's report, Tsunade-sama " Shizune said, handing her the document. " We found a pattern. There were several injuries on the three bodies made by the same sword while the fatal blows were given by a different one. Moreover, the cuts and the way they were made reveal two different styles. One seemed to avoid touching his opponents' vital points while the other showed absolutely no mercy by cutting their throats. So, unless we are dealing with a schizophrenic, we can presume there were at least two attackers."

Tsunade was listening intently but Shizune noticed she hadn't opened the report, probably to avoid seeing the photos it contained. Kakashi's sinister discovery had occurred two days ago and had brought back to the Fifth a dead niece and another one in a coma. Shizune knew Tsunade wasn't one to go down easily but that was just too much in one blow. She kept on working until late at night, probably to occupy her mind, and Shizune was wondering if she was even eating. She just hoped Ayane would wake up soon for Tsunade's sake...

"The autopsy revealed one more point" she went on." Aneko was also severely injured by what seems like a chakra blade. That could mean a third attacker... Anyway, Ayane will certainly be able to fill the gaps for us. Don't worry about that Tsunade-sama."

At that moment, Shizune deeply felt that she was definitely no good at comforting people...

"Thank you, Shizune."

Shizune knew that meant she might go now. So she left the Hokage by herself just like she had been for the past two days.

* * *

In the hospital room, all that could be heard were the regular beeps of the cardiogram which suddenly began to go faster...

_What is that troublesome noise? Doesn't sound like my alarm-clock... _She tried to open her eyes but it was more difficult than what she had planned. When she finally succeeded, everything was blurry and blinding.

"What the..."even her voice was difficult to get out and, what's more, it was all husky. Her mouth felt very dry. What was happening to her now?

She heard footsteps entering the seemingly white room.

"Good to see you're finally awake, Ayane" a feminine voice said. "Nurse, let the Godaime know she woke up" she added, obviously to someone else.

_"Nurse": so she was in a hospital plus the owner of the voice seemed to know her_. She tried moving her head towards the voice to no avail. What was wrong with her? _Guess it's the reason why I'm in a hospital_, she concluded as a result of a brainstorm._ At least, my brain is still working properly..._

She tried to lift herself up but all her body was numb. Suddenly, a pink mass with what seemed to be a head just under it appeared just above her own head.

"Do you feel okay?" she asked.

"Not... really... What... happened?... Who... are... you?" She wanted to ask more questions but her voice didn't seem to be able to go any further.

"Don't you remember anything?"

"No."

"You're in Konoha's hospital."

_Konoha?!_ Her sight was slowly coming back to normal. She could now see two green eyes. _Wait, pink hair plus green eyes plus Konoha make_...

"Sakura?"

"That's me! It's been a long time, Ayane... There... I think you'd do with a glass of water..."

Ayane gratefully accepted the glass along with Sakura's help to drink it. That felt so good!

"What happened?" she asked feeling her mouth coming back to life.

Sakura's smile faded. "You've been attacked while you were on a mission or so it seems. You've been in a coma for a week and we were hoping you would provide us with more information."

"What about Fujio, Zenji and Aneko?" She could feel her heart beat like mad in her chest, echoed by the frenetic beeps of the machine.

Sakura's gaze shifted to the sheets. "I'm sorry, Ayane..."

Ayane just stared at the ceiling. Her heart was pounding wildly and she hoped it would just stop. She didn't remember anything. How could she not remember? Why didn't she just die as well? She wanted to scream, to cry her eyes out but her throat was tight and her eyes were so dry.

She could feel Sakura's hand on hers and she heard other footsteps approaching the bed.

"Ayane!" another voice exclaimed, a voice mixed with joy and sadness.

The blond woman had a fond smile on her face but her eyes were red and watery. That was when the tears finally reached Ayane's eyes.

"Auntsu..." she managed to utter.

Tsunade immediately took the girl in her arms. Ayane could feel her aunt's tears mixing with hers.

* * *

Sakura silently got up and walked to the door closing it behind her, thus leaving aunt and niece mourn for their loss. What consoled her was that they could at least find comfort in one another...

* * *

There she was, in front of her sister's grave, next to her mother's and her father's. She was supported on one side by Tsunade and on the other by Usuzumi, Kanjiro who was her uncle. She had refused to remain sitted on her wheelchair during the funerals and having her aunt and her uncle next to her brought her so much comfort...

She was surprised and thankful at the amount of people attending the burial. It seemed to her that the whole ninja community of Konoha was there and almost all the Usuzumi clan had made it from the Rain village. She had been left with the choice of the place where her sister would be burried and she had naturally picked Konoha where their parents were already lying. Moreover, Konoha was the place of their childhood and Aneko as well as herself were planning to come back to the Leaf village when the opportunity would come up. Well, this wasn't really the opportunty they had been waiting for...

She was also thankful at the weather which was sunny. Back at the Rain village, her sister would often moan about the never-ending rain regretting Konoha's sun and blue sky. It was like nature was paying its respects to Aneko...

* * *

"This is Hatake, Kakashi" Tsunade said. "He's the ninja who found you and brought you back to Konoha."

"I'm very sorry for your loss" the gray-haired man sincerely told Ayane with a compassionate smile visible through his mask. "Aneko was an accomplished ninja as well as a good and loyal person."

"Thank you very much" Ayane replied with gratitude taking in the face of the man who saved her...

The ceremony was now over and people kept on coming to her to offer their condolences. So far, she had seen and talked to many of her former schoolmates except the one she was waiting for...

"Kiba!" she exclaimed, her joy to see him again plain on her face. "Long time no see..."

"Yeah, nice to see you again, Ayane" the boy answered with a shy smile. "I'm just sorry it has to happen like that... Aneko always seemed a cool and caring sister."

"She sure was..." Ayane trailed off.

"I've always wondered why you left the village so suddenly" Kiba said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. "I often wished you would come back. The other girls are not as fun as you, you know!" he tried to justify himself.

"That's quite a long story so maybe we could catch up later. How about you come to the hospital tomorrow?" Ayane asked.

"Okay then. But you'd better have a good explanation!" Kiba joked before turning away to leave.

Ayane kept gazing at his back until he disappeared out of her sight. _Today is a day of reunion_, she thought turning back to her parents's and her sister's graves.


	5. Friends

_Chapter 5 - Friends_

Ayane was lying on her hospital bed with her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She had been told that she still had to rest. So she was lying there most of the day except for a walk with the nurse's help in the hospital corridor. It was still difficult for her to move about. _How can I get better if they don't let me walk more often_, she thought.

Sakura and Tsunade often came to see her and, between their visits, Ayane was either living in her memories or trying hard to remember what had happened that day... to no avail. She just knew they were coming back from a mission in the Fire Country and then all became blank. Tsunade didn't tell her anything about how her sister and her team mates had been killed, probably to spare her and to avoid influencing her memories of the event if they were ever going to come back to her. She had seen her sister one last time at the burial in her ninja outfit. She looked so peaceful and beautiful though. She had no chance to say goodbye to Zenji and Fujio since their bodies had been brought back to the Rain village before she woke up... If only she could remember! Ayane deeply believed her team mates and her sister's souls wouldn't be at peace until justice was made.

A knock at the door got her out of her thoughts.

"How do you feel?" her aunt asked her.

"Not very different from this morning" she replied sarcastically. "I wish I could go out more often. The only amount of fresh air I have in the day is the one coming from the window..."

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. The examination you had this morning showed that your chakra vessels are damaged which means you'll have to have special re-education. But first you'll have to get better physically. Kakashi agreed to help you in that matter making you go through physical as well as chakra exercises. Your first session will be tomorrow morning" Tsunade informed her niece.

"I'm not really fond of gymnastics" Ayane muttered. "And why Kakashi-san? Maybe he has other things to do than make me do some damn aerobics..."

"First, it's not aerobics but re-education and he's okay with it. Don't worry! Kakashi is a good teacher and he's used to having students. By the way, Sakura is one of them."

Ayane had first seen the ninja the day before, at the funerals. She had absolutely no memory of having seen him in Konoha when she was younger. She was grateful for what he had done for her and she was also intrigued. He seemed to be a mysterious man. _That's probably because of his strange mask_, she thought.

"As long as it enables me to get out of this room, I'm okay" she finally conceded when someone knocked at the door.

"Come in!" the aunt and the niece said together.

"Hi Ayane!" Kiba said with a big smile. "Tsunade-sama" he added looking with embarrassment at the flowers and the present he had in his hands. His face was slowly turning as red as the tattoos on his cheeks.

"Hi Kiba!" Ayane answered trying to avoid looking at her aunt who was smiling like mad.

"It's time for me to go back to work" Tsunade declared. "See you later!" Before leaving the room, she made a big wink and a thumb up to her niece without Kiba seeing her. Ayane glared at her but she could feel her cheeks getting pink.

"The flowers are from my sister and my mum made some cookies for you" Kiba said, thus breaking the awkward silence which had followed Tsunade's departure.

"That's very nice from them" Ayane replied focusing on the flowers and the box rather than on Kiba's face. "What about getting some fresh air and have a stroll in the hospital garden if you don't mind helping me getting there?"

"Let's go then!" Kiba answered.

* * *

Ayane and Kiba were now sitting on a bench in the hospital garden. She still had butterflies in her stomach but her body heat and her pulse were slowly coming back to normal. She would never have suspected that Kiba being close to her and touching her while helping her to get to the garden would create such reactions within her...

"Well, I'm ready to listen to your story of why you left Konoha so suddenly if you're still willing to tell me" Kiba said with a seriousness which wasn't really like him. He was looking right in front of him but suddenly and without any warning he turned to face Ayane locking his eyes to hers. _Why do you do that to me, Kiba? I nearly had a cardiac there_, she thought. Once again she felt her cheeks getting hot and pink. _What's wrong with me? Why am I acting so girly?_ She just couldn't turn away from these deep brown eyes of his. His face was getting closer to hers, his lips moving slowly. _Wait! Is he talking to me? Who turned off the sound? Am I going crazy?_ All she could hear was her heart beats growing faster every second. His face was now a few inches away from hers.

"AYANE!" he shouted in her ears as tactfully as a bull in a china shop. That was more like Kiba...

"Sorry! Seems like I spaced out a few seconds... By the way, I think I lost one of my ears there!" Ayane remarked.

"Sorry about that... I just couldn't get you back here with me. I even considered starting a Macarena dance to get your attention!" Kiba said with a sly smile. "Are you sure you 're okay? We can talk later if you want."

"No, I'm all right! So, on with the story! Do you remember when we last saw each other?" she asked.

"Of course, I do: that was just before I was attacked by a damn wolf! I really thought I was going to die that day..."

"Well, that was... me" Ayane slowly confessed.

"What do you mean? Can you summon wolves? Were you so mad at me that you wanted to kill me?" Kiba asked obviously confused and angry.

"I had reasons to be mad at you! You told me you didn't want to hang out with me any more, that I was just an annoying girl and a nuisance to you..." Ayane exclaimed, resentment plain in her voice.

"The other boys were taking the mickey out of me because we were always together. I just wanted to make you understand we had to do things separately from time to time" Kiba replied.

"Don't you think you were a bit extreme? I didn't understand that at all!" she retorted.

"I was the one who was extreme?! You nearly killed me with that wolf! Where did it came from anyway?"

"I told you: it was me! You see that blue point on my forehead? It means I have the ability to turn into an animal linked with my element. Since I am a water-type shinobi specialized in ice, I can transform into a polar wolf. This ability comes from the Usuzumi clan and there is only one person in each generation who possesses it. I was born with that mark on my forehead meaning I had the ability but I didn't know when it was going to manifest itself. It appeared that my first transformation was when I attacked you. At first, it happened when I was angry and I just couldn't control it. So I left Konoha with Aneko to go to the Rain village so that my uncle, who's got the ability as well, could help me get a hold on it. I didn't mean to hurt you..." she trailed off.

"Wow... I don't know what to say. I always thought you left because you were angry against me" he said scratching the back of his head. "I didn't mean what I told you back then: I was just being silly and a 12 year-old boy!" he admitted, laughing faintly. "That's quite cool to be able to turn into a wolf as long as you don't kill people each time you get mad at someone. I'd better be nice with you then, just in case!"

"I can control it now so don't worry! Don't bug me and everything will be fine" she added, laughing at Kiba who was faking an horrified look. She felt so much better now that they got to the bottom of things.

"Friends?" Kiba asked extending his hand to her.

"Friends!" Ayane answered accepting it. At the contact of his hand, butterflies started dancing again in her stomach.

**That's all for this chapter! Tell me if you think things are going too quick. I'd also like to know which couple you'd prefer: KibaXAyane or KakashiXAyane (even though we haven't seen these two together a lot: that's for the next chapter ;) ) A poll is available on my profile page. Comments welcome! **


	6. The jerk and the convalescent

**First, I'd like to thank Badass Neko for the review and also the people who voted in the poll :) Of course, you know I don't own the Naruto characters. I hadn't made that disclaimer yet so now it's settled! Here's chapter 6: enjoy!**

_Chapter 6 – The jerk and the convalescent vs. the easy-going guy and the annoying princess_

_Konoha really is a lovely place_, she thought looking out the window. Her uncle had come early that morning to say goodbye to her before going back to the Rain village.

_"I talked to your aunt: you can stay here until you feel better."_

She didn't want to go back to the Rain village, not without Aneko. Her family back there had always been nice to her but the people she was more deeply attached to were all in the Leaf village. After all, she had spent her whole childhood here...

Anyway, she would have to go back to sort out her sister's things at their place and to pay her respects to her teammates as well as to their families. Maybe she would be able to convince her uncle to let her go back to Konoha but then there was also the Rain village's leader... Entering and leaving the Rain territory was quite a business, and a risky one at that, with the mysterious Pain in charge.

She pushed that matter out of her mind and tried to enjoy the fresh air and the sunlight she could get from the window. She was fed up with lying in bed all day long so she was trying to walk around her room or the hospital corridor as much as she could, which wasn't really a lot. She avoided the stairs when she was on her own though: she still felt a bit fragile for this kind of exercise.

The sound of steps got her out of her musing.

"Lunch, Usuzumi-san!" the nurse said.

"Just call me Ayane, please!" The fact that she was the Hokage's niece seemed to drive people to act quite solemnly around her.

"Is it already lunch time?" she asked, surprised.

"Well, it's 11:30, Ayane-san" the nurse answered.

"Just Ayane, please!" she repeated. "There's no need to be that formal with me. I'm a 15 year-old girl and you could be my mother." _Oops! I don't think that was the right thing to say... _"I mean, it feels strange for someone who is a bit older to act that solemnly with a younger person."

The nurse abruptly put the tray on the table. "Enjoy your meal, Ayane!" she said curtly. "By the way, I'm 29" she added before leaving the room.

_Looks like I offended her. Well, it's not my fault if all that make-up makes her look older! At least, she won't have any problem in calling me Ayane now. That is if she still agrees to look after me..._

She eyed her lunch tray suspiciously. Hospital food was another thing she was fed up with. And what was Kakashi-san doing? She was positive Tsunade told her he was coming this morning... She was beginning to get hungry.

"I guess I have no choice" she sighed with resignation while sitting at the table to eat.

"I don't like hospital food either. What about having some lunch out?" a masculine voice said.

Ayane raised her head and saw Kakashi leaning against the door frame, smiling at her through his mask.

"Kakashi-san! I thought you were coming this morning."

"I haven't had lunch yet: it's still morning for me" Kakashi stated.

If that wasn't nonchalance... She was beginning to wonder whether he was a relative of Shikamaru's.

"That's a way to look at things. Another way would be to say that you are extremely late." _Or that you're not really excited about making me do aerobics_, she added in her mind.

"You've got a point here. But I assure you it doesn't sound like me at all" he answered in a serious tone but with a mischievous glint in his visible eye. "So what do you think of my proposition?"

"Well, I doubt I'll be able to walk to wherever you want to eat" she replied.

"I'm sure the thought of good food will help you get there!" Kakashi encouraged her.

* * *

That man was a total jerk! She almost fell a hundred times on their way to Ichiraku's and he didn't help her at all. He just walked along reading a book and not even talking to her.

"And what will you have, miss?" Ichiraku inquired, taking Ayane out of her rumination.

"Water please!" All that walking had made her dead thirsty.

"Something to eat maybe?" Ichiraku asked.

"Yes, surprise me!" she just said. She was so tired she didn't want to bother with menus or think or talk in that matter.

"See, you made it!" Kakashi said with a hint of sarcasm, breaking the silence that had preceded.

"That's not thanks to you" she replied not bothering to look at the ninja.

"You have to do that by yourself or you won't get your physical capacities back. I can't do it for you" he explained.

"Whatever" she muttered. Was he forced to use that teacherlike tone? That was so annoying! It made her feel like she was 12 and a genin again.

"My mission is to help you recover by doing physical and chakra exercises. I'm not here to be easy on you" he went on.

"What's the use if I'm not in a state to do your bloody exercises? Why not doing it more gradually instead of tiring me out right from the start?" she inquired, looking at him in the eye.

"Right now, I'm your teacher. If you want someone else to help you get better, you'll have to tell the Hokage" he calmly informed her, his eye level with hers.

"Here you are!" Ichiraku interrupted the conversation, putting down two steaming bowls and some water on the counter.

"Thank you, Ichiraku!" Kakashi's words were the last ones that were uttered during the meal.

* * *

"Now, we're heading for the training grounds" he declared after having paid for their lunch. "Do you feel like walking or would you like a piggyback ride?"

Ayane couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not: his face didn't show a lot with that mask. Either way, she chose not to answer and started to walk.

* * *

"Time for chakra exercises!" the gray-haired ninja exclaimed while sitting down against a tree. "This type of exercises requires concentration so I suggest you to sit down as well."

"You've made me walk all the way here just to sit down and do some kind of yoga?"

Gosh, that girl was annoying! Was she ever pleased with anything?

" First – there he had to resist the urge to call her "Princess"- chakra exercises and yoga are two different things. Then, if you prefer to practice in your hospital room, we can still go back there. Finally, if you don't feel like walking, standing or sitting down, you can still lay down. Just pick the position in which you feel at ease and relaxed." It was so difficult sometimes to keep one's cool... Kakashi knew that his reputation as an easy-going guy was mainly due to his mask. And, right now, he was grateful to himself for having decided one day to start wearing the piece of cloth...

Ayane didn't reply but she just laid down, slightly irritated or so it seemed to Kakashi. _One point for me_, he inwardly congratulated himself.

"You are first going to work on your chakra flow and see if you can control it correctly" he started to explain. "After focusing on your chakra flow, you'll have to act on it by stopping it, reversing it and concentrating it on different parts of your body."

"Isn't this genin's level?" she protested.

"Revising your basics won't do you any harm and, in your case, it's a necessity. Using your ninja techniques with damaged chakra vessels could have extremely bad consequences. Working on your chakra flow will help the vessels heal faster. So you first have to focus on this basic but essential point" Kakashi concluded wondering if he had ever talked that much during a training session before.

Once again, she didn't answer but just closed her eyes. Was she finally willing to listen to him? If so, she would certainly not admit it anyway. She seemed a very proud and stubborn girl. There she reminded him of her sister though Aneko used to be more open to discussion than Ayane.

Kakashi had been surprised to learn that Ayane and Aneko were sisters. They didn't have a lot in common as far as their appearance was concerned. There he couldn't help glancing at Ayane's cleavage... The girl was attractive but so annoying!

He took his eyes off her and his book out of his pocket.

* * *

"It's getting late. We'll stop here for today" Kakashi announced, his eyes still on the orange book.

No answer.

"Ayane?"

Still no answer.

He finally decided to look up. She was still lying there with her eyes closed... and her mouth wide open. Was she dribbling? _So much for the attractive girl_, he thought with a sly smile on his face.

He took her in his arms as gently as possible, not to wake her up. _That's becoming a habit_, he thought ironically. _Better having her asleep than awake though..._

**Tell me if Kakashi seems out of character to you. As we never know how and what he thinks in the manga, I suppose he can't be too much OOC... I'd appreciate to know how you feel about the story so far: what you like, what you don't like... Thanks :)**


	7. Get the party started

**Thanks to Mimzy for the review! Here comes a new chapter: enjoy!**

_Chapter 7 – Get the party started_

« I've got some good news for you!" Tsunade exclaimed as she entered Ayane's room. "You're leaving the hospital today. I found a place where you can stay. I'll take you there tonight. I think you're totally able to take care of yourself now and so is the nurse."

_Of course she is_, Ayane thought. _Since the age-thing accident, she 's held a grudge against me: she must be so happy to get rid of me..._

"It seems like Kakashi's lessons are doing you a world of good" her aunt went on. "Kakashi told me you were doing well."

_Did he say that? Well, he can't really say the contrary: he's just sitting there reading his book – which has been the same for a week: he must really be a slow reader – while I'm working like mad. No wonder I fall asleep out of exhaustion half of the time..._

"What about you? How do you feel about these lessons?" Tsunade asked.

"Hmm... They're okay" she answered vaguely. _It's just that I can't stand the man who teaches them_, she added in her mind. Yet, she had tried being more receptive to Kakashi. She would often start the training session with the resolution to be a model student, thinking that, after all, he was the man who saved her and that he couldn't be such a moron. But, each time, he would trample on her good intentions with his sarcastic remarks, his teacherlike tone and his man-I'm-so-cool look.

"Good! I'll see you tonight then" her aunt said as she got out of the room.

* * *

"This is our house! Ayane exclaimed. "So you kept it after Aneko and I left!"

"Of course, I did!" Tsunade replied indignantly. "This house has been in the family for ages. Your mother and I were born and raised in that house and so were you and your sister. Did you think I was going to sell it? I'm not that greedy!"

Ayane would rather have said "bet", not "sell". She remembered times in her childhood when Tsunade would come back from gambling nights totally drunk and broke...

"I kept it the way it was when you left. One of the advantages of being the Hokage is that you can have other people do your chores, like the cleaning or the gardening!" she added with a wink. "What are you waiting for? Go in!"

Ayane obediently opened the door and turned the light on.

"WELCOME BACK!" they all greeted her, echoing the huge banner going from one wall to the other. As she came in, she was showered with confetti by her former schoolmates. Even Iruka-sensei was there, next to her present and beloved sensei, Kakashi, who was leaning against the wall, looking bored as usual.

"Surprise!" Sakura said with a big smile.

"That's a surprise indeed!" Thanks! It's really sweet..." Ayane sincerely told her.

"That was Sakura's idea" Tsunade informed her niece.

"But everyone helped me set this up" Sakura humbly stated, yet beaming with pride.

"Can we eat now?" Naruto interrupted , his eyes fixed on the food displayed on the lounge table.

"Naruto!" Sakura growled, digging him with the elbow.

"But, Sakura-chan, I'm hungry!" Naruto insisted, earning another punch from Sakura.

"Ouch! That hurts..." the blond boy complained, rubbing his side.

"Things really haven't changed" Ayane remarked, laughing. It felt so good to be home!

* * *

She was having some fresh air in the house's back yard, sitting under a cherry tree and waiting for a fish to break the smooth surface of the water. She remembered how she used to dive in that pond when she was little and how her sister would systematically give her in to their aunt.

_"Ayane, stop acting like you were a fish, especially with your clothes on. And Aneko, quit denouncing your sister. Solidarity is a thing you've still got to learn"_ Tsunade would lecture them.

At the thought of her sister, she couldn't help from feeling a twinge of sadness. She knew it was silly but she also felt kind of guilty for what had happened or rather for not remembering what had happened.

"Nice party!" Kiba remarked, interrupting Ayane's reverie. He sat down next to her.

"Yeah and it's really nice of you all" she thanked again.

"It was Sakura who organized it. She's rather good at that though she can be slightly bossy at times..." Kiba mused.

As if to confirm his words, the music and the laughters coming from the living-room were suddenly covered by Sakura's yelling, probably at Naruto.

"I doubt whether these two will ever get along" Kiba commented, shaking his head.

"I think they actually do" the black-haired girl asserted. "It's just Sakura's way to show she cares about Naruto."

Kiba looked even more sceptical. "Girls are definitely too complicated."

"Or maybe boys don't have enough brains to understand us" Ayane challenged.

A few minutes passed during which they both seemed to be meditating on those words, each one probably sure to be the one to be right. It was finally Kiba who changed the subject.

"Do you remember when we used to play hide and seek in your house?" he questioned her with his eyes fixed on the water. "That time when you decided to hide in the pond, I thought I was turning mad: I just couldn't find you! I still haven't made out how you did that."

"I always had a thing for water and I knew it would disorient you and your legendary sense of smell!" Ayane stated playfully.

"And you always knew how to bug me too" the boy replied with a knowing smile on his face.

_Noooo! Someone help me! Now he's giving me his killer smile, the one that gives him these cute dimples!_ She could feel a ball of heat growing in her stomach and slowly invading her whole body. _Come on Ayane! Come up with some sort of diversion_, she silently told herself.

"You know that's not like me at all" she replied, smiling back as casually as she could though her answer came a bit late. That cue seemed oddly familiar. She was sure she heard that not so long ago...

But it was Naruto who granted her wish by flying through the open window down into the pond.

"Naruto? What did you do this time?" Kiba asked trying to repress a fit of laughter.

"Nothing really... Sakura just seems a bit touchy tonight, that's all" the blond boy explained between two coughing fits.

"If it's only tonight, it's okay then" Kiba commented with a sarcasm that the other boy didn't seem to get.

While Kiba was helping Naruto to get out of the water, Ayane came back inside. Sakura was moaning something about Naruto being as pervert as Jiraya and Kakashi combined and Tsunade was in the middle of a poker game with Shikamaru and Iruka-sensei. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

"Ayane! You just missed Kakashi-sensei" Sakura told her in a collected tone. No one could have presumed she had blown a fuse a few minutes ago. "He asked me to tell you tomorrow's session is off."

* * *

"Thanks, Ino! See you later!" she told the blond girl while leaving the flower-shop with a big bunch of white irises. They had always been Aneko's favourite.

Sakura had come in the morning to help Ayane clean the remnant of the party. She had spent the rest of the day going through her things in her bedroom and re-discovering the old house room by room, each time with memories surging up. She didn't find the courage to enter Aneko's room though...

Ayane hadn't been to her sister's grave since the funeral. Not that she did not care, on the contrary, she cared too much and had not felt strong enough to face the stone-cold reality. As she approached Aneko's tomb, she noticed someone was already there. As she got even closer, she was able to make out a ninja outfit and silver hair. _Kakashi?_

"Kakashi!" her mouth echoed her mind.

At the mention of his name, the ninja turned his head. "Hi Ayane!" he greeted her, glancing at the flowers she was holding in her hands. A smile flashed under his mask, or so it seemed to Ayane. "It looks like we had the same idea" he remarked.

"I didn't know you were that close to Aneko" she couldn't help from pointing out, secretly hoping he would give her more details. "I mean, I'm happy that other people care about her and honour her memory" she corrected.

"I"m not someone who forgets about his teammates. We used to be in the same ANBU team and I could always rely on her and on her skills. She was secretive though. She never told me she had a sister."

There, Ayane couldn't help from feeling a bit offended.

"Anyway, in ANBU, keeping a low profile is a quality if not a necessity" the silver-haired man added, as though he had sensed the girl needed that soothing explanation.

"I'll see you tomorrow then!" Kakashi took his leave.

Ayane carefully laid the flowers on her sister's grave, next to another bunch of white irises.

**Thank you for reading! Don't hesitate to click on the review button and tell me what you think about it ;) The poll is still available on my profile page and I changed my avatar for a picture of Ayane. Feel free to have a look!**


	8. Judging a book by its cover

**Hi! Sorry for the long wait: I had many things going on lately... Here comes a new chapter! I hope you'll like it :)**

_Chapter 8 - Judging a book by its cover_

"You're late again, Kakashi" Ayane remarked, lying on the ground with her eyes closed.

She had been waiting for the older ninja for almost an hour. After about ten minutes, she had decided to start her chakra exercises on her own.

"Maybe I was there all along and you just didn't sense me" Kakashi replied in the most serious voice. "I guess after we're done with these chakra exercises, we'll have to deal with your chakra detection ability."

"Of course! I think I'll need some catching up with cycling as well: I'm not so sure I can still ride a bike! Oh, and I'm rubbish at maths but I'm sure you'll be able to help me!"_ I can't believe this guy! He just can't admit he's late..._

"Actually, maths can be useful to a shinobi since they include logic which is essential to elaborate strategies" Kakashi put in.

_I HATE HIM!!!_ she inwardly screamed. _Come on, Ayane, keep calm and breathe slowly. Now you're going to talk to him quietly just like the collected young woman you are_, she silently instructed herself.

"Could you stop acting as if I was a genin? For your information, I was about to take the jounin exam back in the Rain village."

She normally wasn't one to brag but she couldn't stand his sarcastic know-it-all attitude... Maybe her theory about Sakura's behaviour towards Naruto was wrong after all: her yelling at the blond genin wasn't a proof of affection but a way to redirect her repressed exasperation towards Kakashi...

"Well, even jounins have to train constantly to keep on improving- Ayane couldn't suppress a sigh: _here comes the teacher tone again_- because there is always the possibility to come across someone who's stronger than you. If you don't want to do it for yourself, think about the people you have to protect and who rely on you."

Zenji... Fujio... Aneko! Their faces flashed in front of her eyes. She was about to become a jounin and yet she wasn't able to save them...

"You know, I wasn't always able to protect my own teammates..." Kakashi trailed off as if he had read Ayane's thoughts. It was more likely though that he noticed how her face suddenly hardened and how her gaze had grown distant. "When you choose to become a ninja, you have to be aware that your life is at stake but more than that there is your village and sometimes the whole country with all its people behind you. That's why I think a shinobi must always question and challenge himself to go the extra mile and not rely on levels or abilities."

_His own teammates? _She had never really thought of Kakashi as a youngster who had learned how to become a ninja too... In her eyes, that made him a bit less detestable.

"What happened to your teammates?" she asked out of a concern which was genuine to her own surprise. She could guess what his answer would be though.

"They died in missions" he answered before getting his book out of his pocket. "Now, we're not here to have a chat around a cup of tea, are we? So back to training!"

Ayane silently executed his words by lying on the ground again and closing her eyes. It just happened to her that Kakashi's behaviour could be a way to prevent people to see the real him, just like that mask on his face. Could it all be a façade hiding old scars that weren't closed yet? Maybe she had been too quick at judging him after all.

* * *

"Has her memory been searched?" the stranger asked.

"Yes but nothing came out of it" Tsunade answered. "It looks like her memories of the event were erased. You'll find everything you need to know in this file."

After three weeks, the Rain country had finally sent someone to investigate on their fellow ninjas' murders. Tsunade didn't know about the tall auburn-haired kunoichi standing in front of her desk. But she guessed that if she had been sent on her own, she had to be an extremely competent shinobi. She'd have to ask Shizune to do a complete search on her. She didn't know why but she didn't trust the woman.

"Is she under surveillance?" the Rain ninja asked while having a quick look through the file.

Had she ever been taught to look people in the face when she was talking to them? "She is not a prisoner, is she? Moreover, she is my niece: I know her and I trust her" Tsunade bluntly stated, her voice firm and slightly louder than before. She might be speaking as Ayane's aunt there but she still was the Hokage and had to be respected as such. Luckily for her, the Rain woman looked up from the file the instant she heard Tsunade's tone had changed. _Is it me or is she standing straighter all of a sudden? What an impressive and commanding Hokage I make!_ Tsunade inwardly complimented herself.

"I'm sure you do, Lord Hokage. But do you know what she will do when she recovers her memory? Are you sure she won't try to take revenge on the person who killed her sister and her teammates?" the other woman questioned.

_Who does she think she is talking to in that condescending tone? _Tsunade now officially hated her. However, this was her opportunity to make sure the Rain pest didn't get too close to her niece.

"I guess that too much precaution is better than none. I will have one of my ninjas keep a close look on her" Tsunade pretended to consent.

"I'd also need to spend quite a lot of time with her. I may find a way to trigger her memory recovery" the Rain kunoichi went on.

_Anything else, honey? _Tsunade thought wryly. "I'll arrange a meeting between you, Ayane and her guard then. You may want to see my assistant, Shizune: she'll find a place where you can stay." _I'll just make sure it isn't too nice though_, the blond woman mischievously added in her mind.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage" the other one replied, taking her leave.

* * *

It felt strange to Ayane to be in her sister's room. On the one hand, it was like Aneko was still here with her. But, on the other hand, it made her ache for her presence even more. For now, she chose to cling to the first impression...

While opening Aneko's white wardrobe, she fell upon her sister's dress. Aneko had never been into girly stuff and that was probably the only dress she had ever had from the day she had been able to decide by herself what to wear. It was a plain white summer dress yet Ayane had always loved it. She left it where it was though because she knew the dress wouldn't fit her: she and her sister didn't have the same figure...

Then she directed her attention to Aneko's photo albums which were stored in a box at the bottom of the wardrobe. There were family pictures as well as pictures Ayane had never seen before. Some were photos featuring Aneko and some of her friends among whom she recognized Iruka-sensei. Others pictured Ayane's sister with her former team back to the time when she was a genin. There Ayane stopped on one of Aneko's teammates who looked younger than the other two but also oddly familiar: a serious-looking boy with jet black hair, dark eyes and a pale face. Girls might have find him cute though he wasn't Ayane's style at all... However hard she tried, she couldn't put a name on that face. _Lately, I don't remember anything anyway_, she thought bitterly.

When she closed the album, her eyes fell upon something that cheered her up a bit: a pile of shoe boxes! She and her sister were the same size and Ayane loved shoes... Actually, "fixation" would have been more appropriate in her case. She was the owner of an impressive collection of shoes of all sizes, styles and colours. She had left most of them behind her when she and Aneko left for the Rain village. Anyway, over there, all you really needed was a good pair of wellies... It had been quite comfortable to her to find them all again in her old room when she came back to Konoha. Many of them were presents from Aneko who used to offer her a new pair on every special occasion.

The shoes she took out from the first box were really worn out but the second pair -white sandals with silvery threads forming a discreet pattern of arabesques and flowers- fitted her a dream. All the expectations she had built as to the third box were shattered when she found out it didn't contain shoes. But when she realized she had discovered her sister's old diaries, she soon forgot about the shoes, or almost...

It was quite easy to guess by the state of the cover which one was the most recent. They all had a lock on them. She could have broken them easily by turning the metal into ice. But, first, she wasn't supposed to use her ninja techniques yet. And, then, she remembered that she tried that trick once when she was younger and, when she opened Aneko's diary, an exploding tag reading "_if you don't close me in three seconds, I'll explode in your nosy face_" greeted her. She didn't take any foolish risk: she closed it on the spot and never tried to peek into her sister's diary again.

Yes, Ayane was a curious girl but, if she ever was to read Aneko's intimate thoughts, she wanted to do it in a fair way, namely by finding the code opening the lock. Even though reading her diary would bring her sister back to her for a moment, she also feared to find out things she shouldn't know about...

While she was lost in her thoughts fiddling with the diary, a photo fell out from it and fluttered down under the bed. But Ayane didn't notice it.

* * *

"How are the lessons going, Kakashi?" Tsunade asked.

"Ayane is making quick progress." _And she's also quick at making a fuss_, he inwardly commented. "I think she'll be able to start training again on her techniques very soon."

"Good. I'll schedule an x-ray to see if her chakra vessels are okay then. By the way, a Rain ninja named Shimazawa Reika has just arrived to investigate on what happened to the Rain team" she went on, her voice quivering a bit at the mention of her niece's murder.

"I know her. We worked together on a mission in the Rain country." _Actually, we did more than just work together... I hope I won't have to meet her_.

"Then, you must know she is specialized in getting information out of people and that she is apparently a mind reader."

"She is indeed" he agreed. And her mind reading could have proved tricky more than once. Luckily, Kakashi had the sharingan which probably helped him avoid many inconveniences with the Rain kunoichi.

"I won't hide the fact that I don't particularly trust her. I'm afraid she could go too far with Ayane to get the information she needs. Moreover, our investigator pointed out the fact that Ayane might want to take revenge on her own. That is why she needs a guardian" Tsunade explained.

_I don't like where this is heading_, Kakashi thought. _It smells like trouble..._

"That guardian will be you, Kakashi. To fulfil that mission, you will have to move in with her" Tsunade concluded. She was now looking intently at him, leaning on her elbows with her chin resting on her folded hands.

_What?! No way!_ Up to now, Kakashi had had many dangerous missions but this one was going to drive him barmy. He could handle training her because when the session was over, he could go back home and think about something else. But if he had to live with her, his home would be her home as well and that meant he would have no way out... _When that bloody mission's over, if I outlive it, I should have at least the right to retire earlier or even on the spot..._ Being a ninja was definitely a risky job! Of course, he couldn't say that to the Hokage who happened to be the girl's aunt...

"Are you sure I'm the best suited to that mission, Hokage-sama? She might be more comfortable with a woman" he tentatively pointed out, hoping it would be enough to make her change her mind though he seriously doubted it.

"I'm sure you are, Kakashi, and for many reasons" Tsunade began. That was starting off badly for him. "First, you went through the same ordeal she's currently in. Then, you are her present teacher: she is used to you now. But, still, you aren't too close to her which means you are objective enough to find the most appropriate way to deal with her."

Kakashi knew that Tsunade-sama was a convincing and clever woman who always had the last word in every matter. But, still, he had to try his luck and fight for his freedom and sanity. Moreover, since he was training her, he felt like he was turning into a second Gai, always lecturing her about how to be a good ninja. Maybe that was what was frightening him the most...

"You said Ayane could wish to start a crusade against the enemy. You know I couldn't stop Sasuke from doing so. How do you know I won't fail again?" he sincerely asked, feeling a pang of sadness at the mention of his lost student.

"I don't think you failed, Kakashi. You did your best and so did Naruto and Sakura. You were always there for him... Anyway, Sasuke and Ayane are different cases. Moreover, you seem to know that Rain ninja which is a huge asset."

That made four to two for Tsunade: might as well say that the match was pretty much lost for Kakashi...

"And I'm not sure it's good for Ayane to remain alone in that big house full of memories" the blond woman added.

5-2!

"I'm not much of an entertainer" Kakashi put in. 5-3: a ray of hope?

"I'm not asking you to entertain her. I just want you to keep an eye on her. Consider her as you new student! I'd like you to be in my office tomorrow morning with Ayane to settle all that" Tsunade finished off her argumentation as well as Kakashi without knowing it.

Game over! An annoying teenager plus an ex-lover and mind reader: this was going to be hell...

**Tell me what you thought about it! Thanks for reading :)**


End file.
